This disclosure relates to bulwark terraces and their actuation mechanisms, as found on yachts and other seafaring vessels.
Yachts and other seafaring vessels frequently include a “bulwark,” which is a low wall that runs along at least part of the sides of the hull of such a vessel. The bulwark serves as a safety barrier that prevents people who are walking along the decks of the vessel from falling overboard. Most bulwarks are two to four feet in height, measured from the deck surface adjacent to the bulwarks, and sometimes also include a railing or guardrail along the top edge for aesthetic purposes or to provide an easy-to-grasp support for people to grab onto if they lose their balance, such as may happen in heavy swells.
In recent years, the luxury yacht market has seen the introduction of “bulwark terraces.” A bulwark terrace is a section of bulwark on a boat that is mounted on a pivot or hinge with a rotational axis below the level of the deck to allow the bulwark section to pivot downwards and outwards, much like a drawbridge. When fully deployed, the “interior wall” of the bulwark section, i.e., the surface of the bulwark section that faces towards the centerline of the boat (which may also be referred to as an “inboard surface,” as compared with the “outboard surface” or “exterior wall” or “exterior surface” of the bulwark section, i.e., the surface of the bulwark section that faces away from the centerline of the boat) and is nominally vertical when the bulwark section is not deployed, becomes nominally horizontal and is generally flush or level with the deck, thereby extending the deck area. In effect, the bulwark section becomes a balcony or terrace extension of the deck area, thereby increasing total available deck area of the boat and providing enhanced entertainment options. After a bulwark terrace is deployed, safety railings may optionally be installed around the perimeter of the bulwark terrace to reduce the chance of a person falling overboard off the bulwark terrace. During choppy seas, transit, or when the boat is docked, the bulwark terrace may be raised into its stored position, thereby restoring the integrity/continuity of the bulwark and making the boat more seaworthy in rough seas or decreasing the beam of the boat to allow it to dock in a narrower berth.
Bulwark terraces are typically only found on larger luxury yachts, e.g., yachts that are larger than 100 feet in length, due to cost and packaging considerations associated with them.